Latch



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

'(ModeL) L, A. RANDALL;

LATCH.

Patented Feb. 27,1883.

A H I J INVENTOR BY ATTORNEYS.

WITNESSES l:

2 Sheets-Sheet 2. L.. A. RANDALL.

LATCH. I

Patented Feb. 27, 1883;

z E a J. a

-E MW i (Mode1.)

Nor-273.152.

WITNESSES y wmf IHVENTOR! Q ATTORNEYS-i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LUOIUS A. RANDALL, or BIRMINGHAM, MICHIGAN.

.LATCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 273,152, dated February 27, 1883. Application filed May 2 .1w. (ModeL) To all whom t'tmay concern:

Be it known that I, Lucius A. RANDALL, of Birmingham, in the county of Oakland and State of Michigan, have invented a new and Improved Look, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention consists of a lock or latch bolt contrived to automatically shift forward by gravitation into the position by which it engages with the catch, the said bolt being made reversible in difi'erent ways and provided with looking devices, and also provided with a knob-spindle to be used for withdrawing the bolt from the catch, which spindle also gravitates together with the bolt when the bolt engages the catch, the objects being to dispense with the spring commonly used and provide a more certain and durable arrangement than the spring contrivances afford, as hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a perspective view of a lock with a gravitating bolt as I prefer to arrange it and locking devices'for the bolt, the said bolt beingwithdrawn for disconnection with the catch, and the front plate of the case being removed to expose theavorks to view. Fig. Z'is a similar view of thelock with the bolt projected for engagement with the catch. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the interior of the case with the working parts removed to show the guides, pivot-stud, and other attachments employed in connection with the working parts. Fig. 4

.is a perspective view of the lock case and bolt,

showing an arrangement of a gravity-knob for working the bolt. Fig. 5 is a perspective view I of the knob and spindle, showing a modified arrangement of the gravity-knob for working the bolt; and Fig. 6 is a perspectiveview of the striking-plate for the swinging, rising, and falling gravity-bolt of my invention.

A represents the back of the case, B the ends, and G the top and bottom sides. D represents the bolt, which I propose to support on pivots E F, attached to the back A of the lock-case by bars Gr, either hanging from said pivots, as here shown or extending upward therefromand connected to the bolt by pivotstuds H, projecting from the side of the bars spindle for greater fall in the closing move- I Inent.

By making notches J and sockets I in both sides of the bolt for both of the bars, and arranging the notches and sockets of the re spective sides alike with respect to said sides, it will be seen that the lock is made reversible for right or left hand doors. The bars connect with the opposite sides of the bolt by preference, the one on pivot F being located at the back end of the pivot against the back A of the case, and the one on pivot E being at the front end of said pivot and against the front plate of the lock-case. They may, however, be located on the same side, although the bolt balances better by having them on opposite sides. In Fig. 1 the bolt is represented as withdrawn from the catch, the bars G being swung to the left so that the bolt is raised, as well as withdrawn, whereby when not withheld it will swing forward by falling until bars G come to the vertical line, as shown in Fig. 2. The pivots E F must therefore belocated, in the arrangement here shown, so that they are vertically above the positions of sockets I when the bolt D is engaged with the catch; but in the other arrangement of -placing the bolt above the supporting-bars and their pivots E F, although the bolt will work the same whether suspended below pivots E F or supported above them by bars G, the pivots must be located so as to be vertically under sockets I when the bolt is withdrawn from the catch, said bolt in that case IOO its

2 eaanise when the bolt is withdrawn, as when the lock is to be reversed with respect to Figs. 1 and 2. 7 For locking the bolt when shot I propose to employ an inside device in addition to the key device, the said inside device consisting of the lever-pawl K L and the slide M, the lever-pawl being pivoted at N, so that the end of arm K will drop into notch O of the bolt when slide Mis shifted to the right hand, and will be raised out of said notch when the slide is shifted to the left hand, the said slide being arranged in guides P of the front and back plates, and provided with a stud, Q, projecting through a slot in the front plate of the look, by which to work it from the inside of the door only. The plate of the lock has a notch, a, Fig. 3, into which the stud Q sets or drops to prevent its sliding out of position when unlocked-that is, when shifted to the left. Said slide M also has a notch or groove, t, in the upper side, with an inclined bottom for arm L of thelever-pawl to work on, said notch being to keep the pawl in the right position.

For the key-locking device I use the tumbler S, having the point T to be set behind the inner end of the bolt by being raised by the key V acting under hook W and raising said tumbler and dropping the upper guide-studs X into the notches Yet the guides Z upon the inner sides of the lock-plates. The said tumbler is located with its back against the inside of the back end plate, B, of the case where it has substantial backing to prevent it from being forced back, and, being confined by its stud-guides X in the vertical ways formed by the guide-ribs Z,is verysubstantiallyarranged, so that when disengaged from the notches Y by the key it gravitates to the position for releasing the bolt and allowing it to be opened. In this case I have represented the bolt as it will be arranged in a mortise-lock, wherein it is to be worked by a knob-spindle for withdrawing it; but I also propose to have the bolt extended through the back end of the lock-case, the tumbler S being removed, and provide the projecting end with a handle, by which the bolt itself may be taken hold of when used in rimlocks, and in mortise-locks for gates the bolt may extend back in like manner to be grasped by the hand.

In Figs. 1,2, and 3 the knob-spindle a is represented as projecting from the bolt through curved slots 1) on the, back and front plates of the lock to swing along with the bolt, which is an arrangement that may be used; but in practice I propose to employ a gravitating knob that will return to its normal position by its weight along with the return of the bolt itself by gravitation to the locking position. For this purpose the knob may be connected to the bolt in various 'ways; but a good arrangement may be had by the employment of an arm, (1, on a pivot, 0, inside of the lock and engaging the bolt D in a notch, f, and by a pivot, 9, said arm at having an elbow, h, extending laterally to the slot t' in the case, through which a knob, 11, and spindle a may project to swing up and down in said slot; or the arm d may be connected to the pivot e, and the pivot may extend through the case and carry the elbowh, knob 17, and spindle outside of the lock-case, avoiding the slot z', (see Fig. 5 but if the elbow h is located inside of the lock-case the knob-spindle may carry an escutcheon-plate covering the slot. When the bolt is reversible, by turning it over on the pivots H of arms G it will have reversible notehesf for the arm d, as indicated by the dotted lines, Fig. 4. This method of working the bolt by a gravity-knob is also applicable to ordinary sliding bolts without the pivot g, the arm engaging the bolt by a notch, f, or equivalent device merely.

\Vith the swinging gravity-bolt, as I propose, the striking-plate j of the keeper or catch plate l for mortise-locks will have rising and falling inclines m, together with the lateral inclinej of the plate for the bolt to rise on at the same time that it is thrust back by inclinej; and the said inclines in" may also be applied ateach end of inelinej for use with reversible striking-plate of rim looks or latches. The front and back plates of the lock will have ribs n for the bolt to slide on and to work between with less friction than if bearing against the plain sides of the-plates.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination, with back A of the case, provided with the studs E F, of the bolt l) and the parallel bars G, having their upper ends pivoted on said pivots and their lower ends to the bolt, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, with the back A of the case, provided with the studs or pivots E F, of the bolt D, provided with the studs H,notches J, and sockets I, and the parallel arms G, having their upper ends pivoted on the studs E F and their lower ends on the studs H, substantially as and for the purpose set forth The combination of the gravity-lever pawl K L and slide M with the lock or latch bolt D, substantially as described.

t. The combination, with the gravity-bolt D, suspended or supported from pivots E F by parallel bars G, of the gravity key-tumbler S,

having the point T and hook IV at its upper end, substantially as herein shown and described.

5. The key-tumbler S, having point T, hook IV, and guide-studs X, and arrangedin vertical guides Z, having notches Y, said tumbler being also arranged with relation to the end of the bolt substantially as described.

6. The combination of a gravity-knob, an arm, 02, and elbow h, or equivalent devices, with the gravity-bolt D, supported on pivoted bars G, substantially as described.

LUCIUS A. RA NDALL.

Witnesses A. PAR'IRIDGE, J. ALLEN BIeELow. 

